In many distribution systems, it is confirmed whether each package item has been correctly transported to a destination by using a package list indicating transport objects. In the package list, transport situations and the like have been registered in association with identifiers of each package item.
Apart from the distribution systems, there are many systems that manage the states and the like of objects (including persons) to be managed by using a list, such as inventory control of goods as well as entrance and exit control of users. However, even in the case of a management system that manages objects to be managed by using a list electronically produced, when the number of objects to be managed is large, manually inputting identifiers for data registration to a list and data verification with the list is complicated and errors easily occur. Therefore, in some cases, identifiers are read from printed labels, IC tags and the like, which have been attached to objects to be managed, by using a dedicated reader such as a barcode reader and an IC (Integrated Circuit) tag reader for reading encoded information, and are inputted to a computer.
In relation to a technology of identifying objects or labels, PTL 1 discloses an example of a code reader for reducing load of identification processing of service display of a discount label and the like. The code reader disclosed in PTL 1 includes a storage part that stores pattern images to be used for pattern identification of service display and service content in association with each other and an imaging means. An image that matches a pattern image stored in the storage part is detected among images taken by the imaging means, by performing pattern identification, and corresponding service content is outputted.
PTL 2 discloses an example of a label inspection apparatus that performs label inspection by using pattern recognition. In the label inspection apparatus disclosed in PTL 2, label master data including specific characters disposed at four corners of a label of an object to be inspected and position coordinates thereof is produced in advance by using a plurality of character fonts and is stored. The label inspection apparatus disclosed in PTL 2 extracts a character font to be displayed on a label of an object to be inspected from label data to be inspected, which is obtained by capturing a label of a product on a conveying means. The label inspection apparatus disclosed in PTL 2 compares label master data using the same character font as the extracted character font and the specific characters and coordinates of the label data to be inspected and thereby conducts inspection.
PTL 3 discloses a server system capable of registering a photographed image of a user as a reference image of image retrieval.
In relation to an image processing technology, PTL 4 discloses an example of an image processor that detects an inclination angle of a multilayered image (for example, an image obtained by separating an original image into a character line part and a pattern part other than the character line part) and performs a rotation processing according to the detected inclination angle.
PTL 5 discloses an image search device. In the image search device disclosed in PTL 5, in search of similar images, a part of a search screen is displayed as a reference image region and images stored in an image storage part are displayed in order to designate a reference image. In the image search device disclosed in PTL 5, condition icons made into icons are displayed in an adjacent search condition area in order to select a desired search condition from a plurality of search conditions and a similar image obtained as a search result is displayed in an adjacent similar image region.